(Noah Kaminsky | Detroit Music Magazine)
Detroit’s newest addition to the redevelopment of Capitol Park has music aficionados singing.
UK-based music professionals have chosen Detroit as the new home of their third music education institution – the organization’s first US location. The Detroit Institute of Music Education has unveiled its plan for fall of 2014, as well as received backing from some of Detroit’s major investors.
The Detroit Institute of Music Education (DIME)’s temporary pop-up administration office hosted an announcement ceremony with the help of Quicken Loans Founder Dan Gilbert and DIME founders Kevin Nixon, Sarah Clayman and Bruce Dickinson on Thursday, March 20. The event included an introduction by Gilbert and a performance by UK indie-folk group The Wildflowers.
DIME has opened its doors temporarily at a Gilbert-owned storefront at 1520 Woodward (between Witherell and John R), but will soon relocate to the historic Bamlet Building (built in 1896), at 1265 Griswold, in Detroit’s Capitol Park district. The school will occupy four floors of the seven-story building and cover nearly 20,000 square feet at the corner of Grand River Avenue and Griswold Street.
(via DIME Official Facebook Page)
The educational institution will offer college-style courses in guitar, bass, drums, vocals, songwriting and music entrepreneurship, which will be taught by industry experts and professionals. Students may earn a bachelor’s degree or diploma in Creative Music Performance, or sign up for part-time instruction. The facility will also house a live performance stage and sound system to host regularly-scheduled music-related events.
In addition to Gilbert’s backing, the Detroit Institute of Music Education has received $3 million from Michigan-operated private equity firm Beringea to assist in the Detroit campus launch. Quicken Loans has also offered to endow 10 full scholarships – to be awarded to students from within Detroit’s public education system.
Prospective students are encouraged to stop by the DIME pop-up location, meet the DIME team and sign up for enrollment (Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm), or visit www.dime-detroit.com. Artists interested in performing at the DIME facility can contact admissions at 313-223-1600 or www.dime-detroit.com.